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Number 53
June 2012
TAI CHI FOR HEALTH
June Special:
Buy the Tai Chi for Arthritis Wall Chart and get the Tai Chi for Arthritis 2 Wall chart FREE. Package price $13 including postage. Not to be used with any other discount. Offer expires 30 June. As Dr Lam’s New Zealand Agent, I do have his entire range in stock, which you can view at the Products link on this site.
WORKSHOPS
Dr Paul Lam in Palmerston North, New Zealand
TAI CHI DOUBLE WORKSHOP: August 2012
Tai Chi for Arthritis in Depth Workshop 2nd – 3rd August
In this most stimulating and useful workshop, Dr Lam will be sharing with you the deeper meanings of the Tai Chi principles and how to incorporate them into your forms. He will explore how the Qi (vital life force) works and relate it to the Tai Chi principles. All theories and practice will guide you on how to store, regenerate and deliver energy not only with Tai Chi for Arthritis, but also with all Tai Chi forms. This workshop will facilitate you to reach a higher level and find more enjoyment from your practice.
PLUS THE UPDATES: OPPORTUNITY TO UPDATE TAI CHI INSTRUCTOR CERTIFICATES
Tai Chi for Arthritis: When you register for Exploring the Depth of Tai Chi for Arthritis you can apply to update your TCA Instructor certificate at no extra cost. (no TCA assignment)
Fall Prevention Do you have the Tai Chi for Health Institute Fall Prevention module certificate? When attending Exploring the Depth of TCA workshop you can apply to update this qualification (assignment required) at no additional cost.
UPDATE other Tai Chi for Health Institute certificates:
when registered for Exploring the Depth of tai Chi for Arthritis Workshop
Cost $30 per certificate
assignment required for each certificate
assignments sent to applicants when course payment and registration forms received
Submit assignments by 15th July to ensure they have been reviewed before the workshop (earlier if possible)
technique of the relevant tai chi forms is assessed at the workshop
EARLY REGISTRATION = MORE TIME TO COMPLETE YOUR UPDATE ASSIGNMENT
What Is Tai Chi for Energy? 4th – 5th August
This new energising program consists of two different tai chi styles. Chen style tai chi is vigorous and sophisticated, containing fast and slow movements along with powerful spiral force.
Sun style includes a unique qigong (life energy) along with agile steps.. These two seemingly contrasting styles of tai chi have complimentary internal energy. Using his deep understanding of tai chi principles and with over 30 years of experience, Dr Lam carefully composed the Tai Chi for Energy set by combining both styles to bring you greater synergy.
With regular practice and in a relatively short period of time, you will achieve better health and wellness, more internal energy and an improved ability to manage stress. The program contains warm up and cool down exercises and 16 movements.
Resources
Course workbooks are provided within course fees and distributed at the courses
DVDs for each course can be purchased from Hazel Thompson, email taichiproductionsnz@gmail.com
Registered participants are entitled to a discount of 30% on the course DVDs once their fees have been paid in full.
Dr Lam is personally offering a 10% discount on course fees to all TCHC NZ members.
Registration forms are available from Chris Hattle
e-mail hattle@xtra.co.nz
Postal 28 Wikiriwhi Crescent, Palmerston North =======================================================================================
30th JUNE 2012 PRACTICE SESSION LEADER: CHRIS HATTLE Master Trainer Tai Chi for Health Institute
PREPARE for AUGUST DOUBLE WORKSHOP with Dr PAUL LAM
Please register in advance to ensure you are informed if a change is required.
________________________________________________________________
3 hour PRACTICE SESSION
When June 30th 2012 Saturday 10am-1pm
Content To prepare for Dr Lam’s August double workshops, Palm.North, NZ
Tai Chi for Arthritis (TCA) & Tai Chi for Arthritis 2 (TCA2) (41 forms)
Tai Chi for Energy
Refreshments: bring your own picnic
Venue: Guide Hall, 2 Panako Place (off College Street), Awapuni, Palmerston North
Cost: $40 OR $35 for TCHC NZ members (Tai Chi for Health Community NZ Inc)
Payment in advance will ensure your place as there are limited numbers
Pay by cheque: post to address above
or contact Chris for internet banking arrangements
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
In your message include, name, phone, e-mail & the course you are registering for.
REGISTER YOU INTEREST to Prepare for Dr Lam Double Workshop
ADDITIONAL PRACTICE SESSION TCA & TCE
Do you wish to attend a TCA and TCE practice session on either Saturday July 7th or Sunday July 8th. Costs: the same as the session advertised above
If so register your interest with Chris Hattle
in your message include your name, phone, e-mail and whether you can attend on 7th &/or 8th July
The practice session on June 30th is popular.
There are a few spaces remaining.
Tai Chi for Health Practice Sessions…coming up with Senior Trainer Tamara Bennett
Contact Tamara smiling.dragon@xtra.co.nz
Saturday 23 June 2012 1-4pm (General practice session of TCA, TCE, TCD or TCK)Venue: Leicester Hall, corner Findlay & Ramsgate Streets, Ellerslie
Sunday 22 July 2012 1-4pm (Sun Style 73 practice session, forms 35-57)Venue: Franklin: The Centre, 12 Massey Ave, Pukekohe (next to Town Hall, parking in the back)
Saturday TBA ? August 2012 1-4pm (General practice session of TCA, TCE, TCD or TCK)Venue: Leicester Hall, corner Findlay & Ramsgate Streets, Ellerslie
Sunday 23 September 2012 1-4pm (Sun Style 73 practice session, forms 58-73)Venue: Franklin: The Centre, 12 Massey Ave, Pukekohe (next to Town Hall, parking in the back)
Investment $35 for the 3 hour practice session.
TCHCNZ member price of $30 (if you are a current financial member of TCHCNZ) If you are not a member yet, please visit www.tchc.co.nz , you will find information and an application form on the TCHC NZ section of this Tai Chi Productions NZ website.
Payment by internet: Tamara Bennett – Westpac #03 0406 0739577 00 (please use your name as reference) or·
Payment by Post: Tamara Bennett, 996 Waiuku Road, RD1 Pukeoware, Waiuku 2681 ·
*Please email me to confirm you have made a payment.
The Tai Chi for Health practice sessions will run for 3 hours with a tea/biscuit break (provided).·
There will be time to ask questions regarding the form, tai chi principles and teaching methods.
Tai Chi for Health Community NZ (TCHC NZ), was developed in 2010, in hopes to unite and offer NZ TCHI instructors support and to further the spread of Tai Chi for Health programmes within the NZ communities. Our aim is to encourage all NZ TCHI instructors to join as members. Members are eligible for discounts to workshops and merchandise, invitation to the AGM/Workshops, plus the opportunity to apply for scholarships to the Sydney One-Week, Dr Lam’s NZ workshops and our AGM Workshops. Visit our website for more details: www.tchc.co.nz
I look forward to meeting you soon.
REMINDER
If you are attending either or both of Dr Lam’s workshops you will benefit greatly by studying the relevant DVDs in advance. For the Depth workshop these are TCA and TCA2. For the Tai Chi for Energy you need the DVD of the same name. Registered participants can buy a copy of the DVDs at a 30% discount. Other resources you may find helpful is the Teaching Tai Chi Effectively book, and the Tai Chi Music CDs.
All the above are available by e-mailing me at taichiproductionsnz@gmail.com
FOR SALE
2012 World Tai Chi & Qigong Day purple T-shirts available @$35 each plus P&P (various sizes first come first served)
For more information Contact Tamara: smiling.dragon@xtra.co.nz
2012 TCHCNZ AGM
Date – Friday 3rd August
Time: 5:30-7:30pm
Venue: Palmerston North workshop venue
Dinner: Nibbles provided by TCHCNZ
*All Full Members are eligible to Vote
** Please RSVP if you plan to attend – Tamara: t.tbennett@xtra.co.nz
NEWS
Senior Trainer Tamara Bennett spoke at the First Arthritis New Zealand Conference in May. Tamara talked about Tai Chi for Arthritis and led a very successful participation session with an enthusiastic audience. Talks are continuing with Arthritis New Zealand on the subject of Dr Lam’s Tai Chi for Health programmes.
ARTICLES
Essential Principles, by Dr Paul Lam
Tai chi is a sophisticated art with many different styles and forms. Despite the many variations of tai chi, its immense power for improving health and inner energy derives from a set of essential principles.
Here we present the most important ones. We’ve put them into simple, easy-to-understand language. By bearing them in mind as you learn and practice, you’ll be able to do tai chi more effectively right from the beginning. To see if you’re following these principles, you can use a video camera, a mirror, or check with a friend or instructor.
1. Do your movements slowly, without stopping. Make them continuous like water flowing in a river. Don’t jerk. Maintain the same speed throughout.
2. Imagine you’re moving against resistance. That will cultivate your inner force (qi). Imagine the air around you is becoming denser and that every move you make is against a gentle resistance – almost like moving in water.
3. Be conscious of weight transference. This is important for improving mobility, coordination, and stability. Be aware when you transfer your weight and be aware of each step of your weight transference. When you move forward, for example, put your weight on one leg while maintain an upright posture, touch down gently with the other heel first, and then gradually place the entire foot on the ground and put more of your weight onto that foot, slowly and consciously transfer more of your weight forward.
4. Maintain an upright posture and body alignment. Maintain the body upright and keep the body well aligned in a straight line without undue tension is important. This can be more difficult than you expect, especially when you start bending your knees. Very often when people bend their knees the body alignment becomes distorted. Test yourself, standing side on to a mirror, don’t look at the mirror, bend your knees and look at the mirror now. Is your back in a vertical line to the ground? A good way to keep a good alignment as you do this, is to imagine you’re going to sit on an empty chair, bend both your knees and hip joints. Practice it with the mirror and check yourself every now and then. We have found many people don’t keep a good body alignment, and are not aware of it. However once done right, your tai chi will improve greatly because qi flows best in the aligned body. Hunching forward will hinder the qi flow, and compromise your balance and leaning backward will create extra strain to the spine.
5. Loosen or ‘Song’ the joints. You should relax when you do tai chi, but by relax we don’t mean let your muscles get floppy. Instead, consciously and gently stretch your joints from within, almost like you’re expanding your joints internally. Many people mistranslated the Chinese word ‘Song’ into relaxation, which is wrong. Song is both relaxed and loosened.
To loosen the spine, imagine it’s a string, and that you’re gently stretching it from both ends. For the lower limbs, bend your knees and stretch your hips out to form an arch as you crouch. Other lower limb joints will gently expand from within.
6. Focus on your movements. Avoid distraction. Be aware of all the principles mentioned above, but think of them one at a time.
Take care,
Hazel
